Michalis Violaris

Michalis Violaris is a popular Cypriot singer.

Violaris was born Michalis Kyriakou on January 9, 1944 in Agia Varvara, Lefkosia province, Cyprus. He spent his childhood in Larnaca where his family moved and left to study in Athens, Greece in 1962.

Violaris began his singing career, while still a University student, in 1966 when the Neo Kyma (New Wave) started making its mark on Greek Music. He is considered as the musician who first made Cypriot music popular throughout the Greek world as, besides recording traditional Cypriot songs like "Γιασεμίν" (Jasmin), "Τυλληρκώτισσα" (Tyllirkotissa) and others, he also wrote his own songs (E.g. "Ούλλα χαλάλιν του") in Cypriot dialect that are imensely popular.

Violaris has taken up the cause of his occupied homeland and has given a concert on September 8, 2000 in Larnaca, to benefit occupied Lysi.